Sansevieria ballyi, or dwarf sansevieria, is a perfect addition to your succulent garden or indoor houseplant collection. A close cousin to the classic mother in law’s tongue, it’s just as easy to care for. The leaves of Sansevieria ballyi are laterally compressed, cylindrical in shape and reaching a length of 2-4″ long and 1/4″ thick. The apex is red-brown in color composed of a spine grooved on the face. There are scale leaves on stolons and the base of rosettes. Dwarf sansevieria is a flowering plant with pale greenish white flowers that are showy, reaching up to 1″ in length and clustered on a 6″ long raceme. Each cluster usually contains two flowers. The plant is not very tall, reaching up to a maximum height of about 10 inches.
Scientific Name: Sansevieria ballyi L.E.Newton
Common Names: Snake Plant, Mother-in-Law's Tongue, Dwarf Sansevieria
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Crassuloideae
Genus: Sansevieria
How to Grow and Care
Place Sansevierias in moderately bright or filtered light. Good locations include a spot in front of a north-facing window or in front of a bright, sunny window covered by a sheer curtain. Although the plant tolerates low light, bright light brings out the colors in the leaves. However, intense light may cause the edges of the leaves to turn yellow.
Soil: Like most other xerophytic plants, Sansevieria ballyi grows best in porous, well drained potting mix. Slightly acidic soil around pH 6.5 ensures ideal growth. You can use gravel, perlite and decomposed granite to add weight and improve drainage.
Fertilizer: Sansevierias are light feeders. You can use a balanced fertilizer mixture to fertilize once a month during summer. Dilute it to half the strength as labeled on the container. There’s no need to fertilize during winter.
Water & Humidity
Dwarf sansevieria is very drought tolerant and you only need to water then about once a week during the growing season. Allow the top 1 inch of the soil to be completely dry between individual waterings as overwatering will cause root rot. During winters, water just enough to prevent the soil from drying out entirely. Make sure humidity is nice and low where you decide to place your plant. They don’t tolerate moist air well.
Repotting: Sansevieria ballyi is a slow grower. You can repot your Sansevieria every 2-3 years into a container one size larger when the roots outgrow the pot. Fill the new container with commercial lightweight cactus mix. Remove the plant from the existing container when the soil is dry for ease of repotting.
Hardiness:
Hardiness USDA zones 9b to 11b: from 25 °F (−3.9 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
Origin:
Sansevieria ballyi native to northeastern Kenya.
Propagation: Vegetative propagation by division or by leaf cutting are the best methods. Remove and root the plantlets produced at the end of each stolon.When rooting the plantlets, it’s important that you do not remove it until it has developed stilt roots. This is because the plantlets grow a rosette of leaves before they begin the root growth, so patience is key. Once the stilt roots have grown sufficiently long, you can cut the stolon at any point and pot the new plant in a slightly moist and porous soil. Make sure the cuttings are at least 1″ in length.
- Learn more at How to Grow and Care Sansevieria
Scientific Name: Sansevieria ballyi L.E.Newton
Common Names: Snake Plant, Mother-in-Law's Tongue, Dwarf Sansevieria
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Crassuloideae
Genus: Sansevieria
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| source pic: davesgarden.com |
How to Grow and Care
Place Sansevierias in moderately bright or filtered light. Good locations include a spot in front of a north-facing window or in front of a bright, sunny window covered by a sheer curtain. Although the plant tolerates low light, bright light brings out the colors in the leaves. However, intense light may cause the edges of the leaves to turn yellow.
Soil: Like most other xerophytic plants, Sansevieria ballyi grows best in porous, well drained potting mix. Slightly acidic soil around pH 6.5 ensures ideal growth. You can use gravel, perlite and decomposed granite to add weight and improve drainage.
Fertilizer: Sansevierias are light feeders. You can use a balanced fertilizer mixture to fertilize once a month during summer. Dilute it to half the strength as labeled on the container. There’s no need to fertilize during winter.
Water & Humidity
Dwarf sansevieria is very drought tolerant and you only need to water then about once a week during the growing season. Allow the top 1 inch of the soil to be completely dry between individual waterings as overwatering will cause root rot. During winters, water just enough to prevent the soil from drying out entirely. Make sure humidity is nice and low where you decide to place your plant. They don’t tolerate moist air well.
Repotting: Sansevieria ballyi is a slow grower. You can repot your Sansevieria every 2-3 years into a container one size larger when the roots outgrow the pot. Fill the new container with commercial lightweight cactus mix. Remove the plant from the existing container when the soil is dry for ease of repotting.
Hardiness:
Hardiness USDA zones 9b to 11b: from 25 °F (−3.9 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
Origin:
Sansevieria ballyi native to northeastern Kenya.
Propagation: Vegetative propagation by division or by leaf cutting are the best methods. Remove and root the plantlets produced at the end of each stolon.When rooting the plantlets, it’s important that you do not remove it until it has developed stilt roots. This is because the plantlets grow a rosette of leaves before they begin the root growth, so patience is key. Once the stilt roots have grown sufficiently long, you can cut the stolon at any point and pot the new plant in a slightly moist and porous soil. Make sure the cuttings are at least 1″ in length.
- Learn more at How to Grow and Care Sansevieria
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| source pic: flickr.com |
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